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Study: Pothole damage costs drivers $3 billion per year

Pothole damage costs U.S. drivers $3 billion per year, according to a new study from the AAA auto club.

AAA said most drivers in the nation experience damage from potholes three times per year, at an average cost of $300 per repair.

“In the last five years, 16 million drivers across the country have suffered pothole damage to their vehicles,” John Nielsen, AAA's Managing Director of Automotive Engineering and Repair, said in a statement.

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“The problems range from tire punctures and bent wheels, to more expensive suspension damage," he continued.

AAA said the find comes as two-thirds of U.S. residents reported in a poll that was conducted by the organization that they are worried about potholes damaging their cars.

The group said fears about pothole damage were most prevalent among drivers who reported having an income of less than $75,000 per year.

AAA said the findings show Congress has to provide more funding for U.S. roads, even though lawmakers passed a $305 billion highway bill that last five years last year.

"AAA’s members are paying a steep price for bad road conditions, and those costs are expected to rise even higher in the years ahead," the group said.

"Americans rely on our nation’s roads and bridges every day, and more funding is desperately needed to prevent potholes, other unsafe conditions and longer commutes," AAA continued. "Congress increased transportation funding in 2015 to help pay for road repair, but as much as $170 billion in additional funding is needed per year to significantly improve America’s roads and bridges."